The method & steps successfully used by DOGWOOD ACRES

1. Upon receipt of payment for hatching eggs we begin by completely filling out the shipping label, INCLUDING day-time & home phone numbers & any neccessary paperwork for interstate shipping regulations as determined by each state.
2. This step is optional depending on the supplier & the purchaser. One scenario is to write FRAGILE, HATCHING EGGS, HANDLE W/CARE & ETC on all sides of the shipping box. Some folks seem to think this gets their package a little better care and it possibly could. On the flip side....we've interveiwed several USPS employees & our consenus was that writing these extra notices on the box does NOT guarantee any special handling. As a matter of fact we were told by quite a few, that the employees do not have time to read what is written on the box due to volume of mail, time & etc. Plus many boxes state FRAGILE & etc. most packages are treated the same. What is read & is THE most important part of a package is the SHIPPING LABEL! This needs to filled out neatly & having phone numbers on it greatly increases having the parties notified upon arrival. Some even went so far as to say that having the "extra" writing on the boxes carrying hatching eggs almost served as a "red flag" to parties wishing to add fuel to putting an end to shipment of live animals including hatching eggs. These are not neccessarily the opinions & veiws of DOGWOOD ACRES. We just thought we would share what we've been told & experienced. We feel each individual should decide for themselves if they wish to place any context on their boxes.
3. We place the appropriate sized foam egg tray inside an adequate shipping box. Making sure that the box doesn't fit too tightly or too loosely.
4. We ONLY ship fresh (no more than 4 days old) hatching eggs to keep the hatchability up.
5. We provide adequate space between each egg placed in the box. Eggs should NOT touch each other nor ANY of the 6 sides of the box.
6. Packing material is placed around the foam egg trays & eggs. We've successfully used the following materials: foam, styrfoam "peanuts", bubble wrap, crumpled & shredded newspaper, wood shavings & etc. The key is to get the box contents SNUG but not tight. This allows the hatching eggs cushioning from being jiggled & smashing into each other, yet withstanding bumps & jostling of the box in whole.
7. Packages are delivered to USPS where they are sent PRIORITY MAIL w/insurance & tracking number, if desired.
8. Purchasers are notified that their eggs are in transit & any pertintent information is supplied.
9. We request that packages be picked up at the post office, when they phone, & inspected in front of the employees in case of any claims. We also request that purchasers notify us when their package arrives so they can tell us how the package handled the trip. Experience is the BEST teacher of successful shipping practices.